Tuesday Trivia: A Man of Many Bats
 

Name the hitter who set the current record for most career 3-homer games with six. (Note that two other players have since tied the record).

I know Mookie Betts is one of the players who tied the record.

Either Stargell or Mize.




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Mize

I guess this was too easy for you guys. Mize it is! Here are some other factoids about him:

1) Travelled with 43 different bats in a year in which he finished with 43 Home Runs, then a Cardinals record. He quipped in his book How to Hit “To this day I wonder what would have happened if I had started the season with 61 bats.” He referred to his variously shaped and sized bats as his tools, and would use lighter bats for faster pitchers.

2) At one time or another he led the League in Batting Average, Home Runs, Runs, Doubles, Triples, Slugging, OPS, and Intentional Walks. Led the League in two of the three triple crown categories three times.

3) Spent 1943 through 1945 in military service during World War II. During his service he played for the Great Lakes Naval Station baseball team for service members and new personnel in training where he hit 17 home runs in 51 games and batted over .475 while manning first base for the Bluejackets. Other team members included: shortstops Phil Rizzuto, Pee Wee Reese, and Johnny Lipon; outfielders Sam Chapman, Dom DiMaggio and Barney McCosky; and catcher Frankie Pytlak. The team was considered one of the best WWII era teams assembled.

4) In 1947 he did something unmatched in baseball history. He became the first player to hit 50 or more home runs in a season while striking out fewer than 50 times, one of the game’s extraordinary records and a sole distinction Mize still holds. The following year he hit more Home Runs (40) than strikeouts (37) as well.

5) Mize was a distant cousin of Ty Cobb and his second cousin married Babe Ruth.

6) Despite his large frame, he first found success at tennis

7) Almost missed out on playing in MLB because of a groinal strain that developed into pelvic bone spurs when he was 22, but a daring surgery fixed the issue and played in MLB the next year.

8) Nicknames were “Big Jawn” and “Big Cat”.

9) Is credited as being the first MLB player to smear mud under his eyes to reduce glare.

10) Was involved in a 1941 lawsuit against Gum Products Inc. The company manufactured a set of baseball cards called Double Play. Mize sued because he argued that the company did not have his consent to use his image in the card set. Gum Products Inc. won the lawsuit, but the company stopped producing its Double Play series because of the expenses it incurred during the legal proceedings with Mize

11) Despite spending part of the 1950 season on minor league rehab, he hit 25 home runs to become the second player to have a 25-home run season in both leagues.

12) Finished his career with Yankees from 1949-53, winning a record 5 consecutive World Series, including the ’52 Series, when he hit three home runs (was robbed of a fourth by Carl Furillo), batted .400, slugged 1.067, leading the Yankees to a classic seven-game victory over Brooklyn.

13) Had a higher career slugging % (.562) than Musial, Mantle, Mays, or Aaron.

Sammy Sosa is the other player to do it. Mookie Betts would have been my 1,000th guess.

Johnny Mize is one of the most underrated players of all time. He hit . 312/.397/.562 OPS+ 158. 15th all time in slugging percentage and tied for 18th in OPS+, with Tris Speaker, with several steroid users ahead of him. He gave up 3 prime years to serve in the war preventing him from hitting career milestones. How the BBWAA didn't think he was a Hofer is a mystery. He was easily one of the top 50 players of all time.

Every thread needs a card...

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I'm still laughing at your use of "groinal" in #7!!!! :D

Thanks for sharing that card!
Snider had some great postseasons. Believe he was the only player to hit 4 Home Runs in two World Series, the second time helping Brooklyn finally beat the Yankees in’55.